For Oklahoma women's basketball player Stacey Dales, it just keeps getting better. The fifth-year senior was recruited out of her hometown of Brockville, Ontario, by coach Sherri Coale five years ago when the program had little to offer. In her first season at Oklahoma, Coale guided the team to a disastrous 5-22 record. But she did at least one thing right--she landed Dales.
Ever since, the Sooners have continued to improve. In her four years since redshirting as a freshman, Dales has seen the team first garner a WNIT invitation in 1998-1999 and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 in each of the past two years. And now, the senior has led the team to its first-ever Final Four appearance.
"It's been a fantastic experience playing for Oklahoma," Dales said after the Sooners bested Colorado in the West regional final. "We've turned the program around. I'm thrilled where we're going--it's the Final Four. We've never been there before, and we're obviously excited."
Dales' college career did not get off to a promising start. She tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee after less than two minutes of playing time in her first game as a Sooner. But since then, the 22-year-old Dales has gained as much experience on the court as any of her rivals, and more than most.
In addition to her four seasons at Oklahoma, Dales played on the Canadian national teams in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The team finished 10th in 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. But during the school year, Dales wears the red-and-white Sooners uniform, in which she has averaged almost 17 points per game this season.
But Dales' worth to the Oklahoma program is not limited to her scoring contribution. She plays 31 minutes per game, shoots 47.7 percent from the field and has pulled down 171 rebounds for the Sooners this season. She also leads the team in assists, with 170.
Dales and senior teammate LaNeishea Caufield represent the fruition of Coale's plan to transform Oklahoma women's basketball into a powerhouse in the sport.
"These guys bought into a vision," she said. "They bought what I was selling. And we're not finished. We've got a lot more work to do."
Dales is not new to success, but most of hers has been of the individual variety. Most recently, she was named an Associated Press All-American for the 2002 season, and was one of two juniors to garner All-American status in 2001. She has managed her athletic feats while maintaining a 3.75 grade point average and participating in community service activities once a week.
In high school, Dales shot 65 percent from the field in leading Thousand Islands Secondary School to a three-year record of 126-6. In recognition of her achievements, she became the first athlete at the school to have her number retired. When she returned home over the summer, July 2, 2001, was declared "Stacey Dales Day" in Brockville.
With Friday's national semifinal matchup against Duke rapidly approaching, Dales will be presented with the unenviable task of guarding fellow All-American Alana Beard. Three years her junior and an inch shorter, Beard will nonetheless create problems for the Sooner star. Beard has averaged 23.5 points per game since the tournament started, and shot 9-of-12 Monday against third-seeded South Carolina.
Dales may have played a key role in her team's improvement over the past five seasons, but she has run out of time. She intends to graduate in May, and will not be able to return for the possibility of another Final Four run in a year's time. But she is not ready to go home just yet.
"To be going to the Final Four is a great accomplishment," she said. "And we're not finished yet."
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